gibson



Sept. 6, 1932- 1 D. GIBSON RAGKET CHAIR Filed Oct. l1, 1928 2SbeetS-Shee l SCPL 6 1932 L. n. GIBSON 1,876,408

RACKET CHAIR Filed Oct. 11, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Slept. 6,1932 UNITED SITA Trisv PATENr orifice f Louis n. GIBsoN, oFNoRWAY,MArNE, AssIGNoR To THE w.' F. TUBBS COMPANY, oF

NoRwnY, MAINE, A conPoRATIoN o-F MAINE micxanm` cnam Application filedOctober 11, 1928. Seri a 1No311r,8 26.

My invention relates to improvements in chairs and relates moreparticularly to an ,mPrOVed foldinghar adapted t be used in camps,boats, automobiles, aircraft and the like.

LAn object of my invention is to provide a comfortable chair which isstrong and light. Another object of my invention is to provide acomfortable relatively light chair which may be folded fortransportation into a very Compact Space c Another object of myinvention is to provide a chair of the type above indicated which iseconomical in construction.

rlhese and other objects will become yapparentfrom the followingdescription of an embcdiment of my invention, illustrated in part ofthis specification.l

, Referring to the drawings: i Fig. 1 is a side elevational view y,of achair .embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational View of the chair. f 3 is a vertical,medial, sectional view of the chair, showing the same partially folded.

F igA is a side elevationalyiew ofthe chair, folded.

the accompanying d rawings, which forma Fig. 5 is a front elevationalview of thev folded chair.

Figs. 6, 7, v nd 8 are views of diiferent parts of theframe for thechair.

Referring to the different figures of the drawings, wherein like partsare designated by like reference characters, show, therein, a foldingchair which comprises generally, a back seat and supports. As best shownin Fig. 8, the seatcomprises a U-shaped vwood frame strip 2 which isbridged 'adj acent the ends by a cross slat y3. The cross slat issecured in apertures 4l of the frame strip 2 by screws 5. The back ofthe. chair comprises a generally bowed U-shaped wood framestrip 1,5,having parallel ends 16 and 1 7 preferably disposed closer together thanare the intermediate portions -of the side arm .portions 18 and 19. Theportionsadjacent-the paralshoes.

lel ends is bridged by a slat 2O in a manner similar to that of theseat. i

Both the seat and baclrframes are provided with a similarwebbing'filling, which is best shown forthe back frame in Fig. 2, beingwoven onto the frame around the slats 3 and 20, and around thesubstantially parallel sides 8 and 9, and 18 and 19.` fAlthough thelmate? rial of the webbingV and its form mayl yvary within the purviewof my invention, y I preferably make the webbing of thongs'of hide,prepared and treated in substantially the vsame manner as are the thongscommonly employed for the webbing of Snowshoes and lI secure the webbingto the wood frame clements in any of the well known ways em,- ployed inconnection with the securing of webbing tothe side frame elements ofsnowsecured to the forward portion of the seat extend through aperturesin the v Curved'porr tion 10of the frame `at the forwardedg'e of theseat, providing a smooth forward edge on the seat. yThe same plan may beadvanf Ytageously followed, as shown, for the rounded top of the back.

A pair of blocks, 12, are secured upon the ends 8 and 9 of thefseatframe, as by rivets 13. The side arms of the back-are adapted to projectvdownwardly between the side arms 8 and 9 .of the seat and arelswivelably attached to pivot pins 14 extending transversely through theblocks. 12 and the arms 18 and 19. lhe position of the pins 14', fin,the blocks 12,

As best shown in Fig. 6, a cross slat 22 also bridges the parallel ends16 and 17 of v the back arms anda U-shaped bracingmember .23, havingpendant arms 241 and 25 secured by-,their endsto theends 16 andfl? ofthe back frame, by means of rivets 26. and 27. The intermediate portion28 .of ythe bracing memcessively disposed v`transverse vbraces 20, 42 2VPreferably the ends ofthe webbing permits the back to be rotated on thepins toy a planeparallel to thatof the seat.

tread for the chair and vided with apertures `rounded projections and23, the brace 23 being of inverted U- shaped form and forming a trussstructure between the ends 16 and 17 of the enclosing frame and theintermediate portion of the bracing slat 22.

To the lower side of each arm of the U- shaped seat element is rigidlysecured an elongated block 21 by means of wood screws 5. and 31.Hingedly secured by hinges 32 and 33 to each of the blocls21 are a pairof longitudinally extending laterally disposed chair supports, .eachsupport comprising a substantially inverted U-shaped wood strip 34having an intermediateportion 35 and front and rear pendant arms 36and-37. The arms of the strip 34 are successively bridged by braces 38and 39 rigidly secured at their ends tothe arms, the brace 37 comprisinga is preferably provided with an outwardly inclined rear `end 40. Theends of the arms 36 and 37 preferably project into suitable recesses ofthe tread and are secured tightly therein in any suitable manner such asby woodscrews projected upwardly through the tread into the ends of thearms as indicated, at 41.

Each of the supports comprising the strip 34 and brace 38 and tread 39issecured by the intermediate portion 35 by the hinges 32 and 33 to one ofthe blocks 21 over a laterally disposed portion of the seat 7 and thehinges are adapted to permit inward swivelling of the supports on thebloclrs so that the suports can be folded inwardly about the seat whilethe back is-turned on its pivot pins 14 to a position of Vfortibility.v

In Fig. 7 there is illustrated a wood bracing element comprising sidepieces 43 and 44 secured in parallel spaced relation between bracingelements 42 and 45, securing elements 46 being suitably projected.through the contiguous portions of the elements 42, 43, 44 and 45 torigidly secure them together. The ends of the side arms43 and 44 arepro- 47 to permit reduced 48 of the brace 42 to ex- |The projections 48exthe upper portion of the tend therethrough. tending laterally of braceelement of Figure 7, isV adapted to be projecting ends 48 projected intosuitable journalled recesses extending inwardly from the vinner surfacesof the blocks 21 affixed to the bottom of the seat, near the forwardportions of such said blocks. By virtue of this arrangement the of thebracing element of Fig. 7 is adapted to be swivelably supported from theblocks 21 and therebetween with pendant arms 43 and 44 adapted to take aositionv between pendant forward arms 36 of the hinged chair supports.v

U-shaped clips or hooks 50 are secured by the arms 51 to the pendantarms 36 lwith their side armsextending forwardly toreceive between themthe ends 52` of the swivelable bracing element of Fig. 7 Similar U-shaped clips or hooks 53 are secured to the' brace 38 for each of thesupports with their arms extending rearwardly to receive the pendantends 36 of the chair back frame strip 15.

The projection of the ends 36 of the back into the U-shaped clips 53 ofthe chair supports and the projection of the bracing element of Fig. 7by its pendant ends 52 of its` side arms into'the clips 50 on thesupports serves to rigidly hold ythe supports in spaced relation invertical position to support the chair during use, at the same timepermitting/ready readjustment of the parts to the collapsed. formillustrated in Fig. 4 for the purpose of transportation. Y

An additional bracing strip 55 is provided secured onto the top of theblocks 14 and the rear of the seat element side arms, being securedthereto, and is adapted to engage the side parallel ends 16 and 17 ofthe chair back side arms 18 and 19 when the chair is in the formillustrated'in Figurev 1 ready for use.

Having described my invention in a speciiic embodiment l am aware thatnumerous and extensive departures may be made thererom but withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention.

l claim: f v

1. ln a folding chair, in combination a back, a seat and a pair oflaterally disposed longitudinally extending supports for the seat, saidsupports `being hingedly secured to the seat at each side thereof andadapted for folding thereunder, Vsaid back and seat each comprising asubstantially U-shaped frame element, brace means extending between andsecured to the seat frame arms, said back being pivotally joined at anintermediate portion to the'seat'arms near their ends, said back adaptedto extend within and pendantly below the seat frame arms, and hookssecuredV to the seat supports adapted to detachably secure thependantportion of the back to the seat supports, said back' frameadapted to rigidly space the hinged supports during use of the chair,and said hooks adapted to simultaneously restrain rearward movementofthe upper back portion.

V2. ln a folding chair, in combination a back, a seat and a pair oflaterally disposed longitudinally extending supports for the seat, saidsupports being hingedly secured to the seat ateach side thereof andadapted for folding thereunder, said baclr and seat each comprising asubstantially ll-shaped frame element, brace means extending between andsecured to the seat frame arms, said Vback being pivotally joinedat anintermediate por-Y tion to the seat arms near.V their ends, said backadapted 'to extendwithin and pendantly below the seat'frame arms, andhooks secured to the'seat supports adapted to detachably secure thependant portion of the backl tothe seat supports, said back frameadapted Vso to rigidly space the hinged supports during use of thechair, and said hooks adapted to simultaneously restrain rearwardmovement of the upper back portion, and a front bracing element adaptedto be disposed between and brace the supports in operative position,said bracing element hingedly secured to the bottom of the seatforwardly of the back and having laterally disposed pendant portionsinterposed between the supports and adapted to prevent inward movementof the supports.

3. In a folding chair, in combination a back, a seat and a pair oflaterally disposed longitudinally extending supports for the seat, saidsupports being hingedly secured to the seat at each side thereof andadapted forl folding thereunder, said back and seat each comprising asubstantially U-shaped frame element, brace means extending between andsecured to the seat frame arms, said back being pivotally joined at anintermediate portion to the seat arms near their ends, said back adaptedto extend within' and pendantly below the seat frame arms, and hookssecured to the seat supports adapted to detachably secure the pendantportion of the back to the seat supports, said back frame adapted torigidly space the hinged supports during use of the chair, and saidhooks adapted to simultaneously restrain rearward movement of the upperback portion, each of said supports comprising a substantially invertedU-shaped frame element and a longitudinally extending chair treadbridging the ends of the said element.

4t. In a folding chair, in combination a back, a seat and a pair oflaterally disposed longitudinally extending supports for the seat, saidsupports being hingedly secured to the seat at each side thereof andadapted for folding thereunder, said back and seat each comprisinga'subst-antially U-sliaped frame element, brace means extending betweenand secured to the seat frame arms, said back being pivotally joined atan intermediate portion to the seat arms near their ends, said backadapted to extend within and pendantly below the seat frame arms, andhooks secured to the seat supports adapted to detachably secure thependant portion of the back to the seatsupports, said back frame adaptedto rigidly space the hinged supports during use of the cha-ir, and saidhooks adapted to simultaneously restrain rearward movement of the upperback portion, anda back and seat filling comprising a webbing of hidethongs.

5. In a folding chair, in combination a back, a seat and a pair oflaterally disposed longitudinally extending supports for the seat, saidsupports being hingedly secured to the seat at each side thereof andadapted for folding thereunder, said back and seat each comprising asubstantially U-shaped frame element, brace means extending between andsaid back arms is limited secured to the seat frame arms, said backbeing pivotally joined at an intermediate portion to the seat arms neartheir ends, said back adapted to extend within and pendantly below theseat frame arms, and hooks secured to the seat supports adapted todetachably secure the pendant portion of the back to the seat supports,said back frame adapted to rigidly space the hinged supports during useofthe chair, and said hooks adapted t0 simultaneously restrain rearwardmovement of the upper back portion, and a brace for the ends of the seatframe arms extending transversely therebetween, disposed rearwardly ofthe swivelling axis of the back and seat and engageable by the back whenthe chair is in use to reenforce it against rearward lmovement.

back and a seat, of a pair of longitudinally extending lateral supportsfor the seat hinged to the sides thereof and adapted to be foldedinwardly thereunder, said back comprising upper and lower portions hingeconnectors disposedintermediate said back portions for hingedlysupporting the back on the seat near its rear end, said back adapted tofold with its upper portion superposed over said seat and alternatelywith its upper portion in an upright position of use with its lowerportion 6. In a folding chair, in combination a extending pendantlybelow said seat, connecting means adapted tov detachably secure thependant portion of said back to said pair of hinged seat supports tosimultaneously maintain the seat supports in seat supporting position,and said back in its said upright position of use.

7. In a folding chair, in combination a pair of hingedly joined U-shapedback and seat elements, the lateral arms of the back element projectingbeyond the hinging axis of said elements, a pair of parallel pendantseat supports hingedly connected to the lateral arms of the seat, meanswhereby the projecting ends of the back arms may have interlockingengagement with said seat supports to hold them in operative spacedrelation.

' 8. Inra folding chair, in combination a pair of hingedly joinedU-shaped back and seat elements, the lateral arms of the back elementprojecting beyond the hinging axis of said elements, a pair of parallelseat supports, pendantly hingedly connected to ther lateral arms of theseat and` means whereby the rearwardV movement of the joined ends ofrelative to said seat, and spacing means pendantly supported by saidseat arms forwardly of their joined ends having interlocking engagementwith hooks on said supports to operatively space said supports. j' v jIn testimony whereof I hereunto afhx'my signature this 11th day ofSeptember, 1928.

LOUIS D. GIBSON.

